Vidya Balan says she felt pressured to act younger, especially during photoshoots, after Parineeta: ‘It got frustrating’

Vidya Balan said photographers would say things like, ‘Let’s make you look younger and sexy,’ during photoshoots when she had just done Parineeta.

Actor Vidya Balan completed 20 years in the film industry. She made her acting debut in Bollywood with Parineeta in 2005. In an interview with Filmfare, Vidya opened up about her career and journey so far. She stressed the fact that during the early years, there were many who wanted her to look younger after she had debuted with such a strong traditional look in Parineeta.

What Vidya said

Vidya Balan shared that she was annoyed after a point when she was pressurized to look younger. (Instagram/ Vidya Balan)

During the interview, Vidya was asked whether she felt any biases and prejudices at the start of her career. She said, “Parineeta was a massive success and changed everything for me. As someone with no industry background, I was incredibly lucky to debut like that. Very few get that kind of launch. Hrithik (Roshan) in Kaho Na…Pyaar Hai is the only other one who comes to mind. Overnight, people knew me. I won Best Debut at Filmfare, got invited to events. Top directors started calling.”

‘I hadn’t grown up on film magazines’

She went on to add, “But at photo shoots, they’d say, ‘Let’s try something new with you,’ and I’d think, ‘What have you even seen of me to want something new?’ They’d say, ‘Let’s make you look younger and sexy.’ And I was open to experimenting. But after a while, it got frustrating. I wasn’t a girl. I was 26 and very much a woman. It annoyed me, especially during shoots, where I felt pressured to act younger, something I just didn’t relate to. I hadn’t grown up on film magazines or learnt how to pose. Acting was always my focus. I hadn’t even seen international glossies.”